Q: I tried to obtain my Equifax Annual Credit Report, through the AnnualCreditReport.com website, which I have been doing for years. However, today I was asked some strange questions that had nothing to do with my history and got response as follows: "We're sorry, for your protection we are unable to deliver your Equifax Free Annual Credit Report online." It then instructs how to receive it by mail.

I printed out the information but went back to the Annual Credit Report home page and logged out. I then tried to search for AnnualCreditReport.com again, and search page also indicates: "The AnnualCreditReport.com website is not currently available in your location. Visit www.ftc.gov to learn how you can request your free U.S. credit report by mail."

Do you have any info/knowledge of any problems? I really don't want to do a snail/mail request.

-- L.W., Richmond Heights

A: I have not heard of any widespread problems with the annualcreditreport.com site lately. Honestly, my first thought was that either there's something wrong with your computer's settings (such as its cookies), or that your computer has some kind of virus or bug.

I say that because that's normally the message that www.annualcreditreport.com puts out when the site doesn't recognize your ISP, or it thinks you're are located outside of the United States.

My second thought is that your credit file perhaps has been flagged for possible attempted identity theft and Equifax is trying to protect you by refusing to provide your sensitive credit information online.

My advice would be to try this from a different computer - perhaps at a relative's house.

If it's still a fail, then I would definitely write to Equifax to get your report by mail. Something may be wrong and you don't want to let it slide.

For those who haven't tried to access their account online before, you should know that the credit bureaus generally will ask you several multiple-choice questions that wouldn't generally be known even by someone who had stolen your personal information. Sample questions:

• Which one of these streets did you live on in the past 20 years?

• How much is your mortgage payment, within $50?

• You once had a personal loan through which of these banks?

• You have a car loan on which of these vehicles?

The funny thing about these questions: Often times with married couples, the person who doesn't handle the finances may not be able to answer the questions either.

Q: I know you're not enthused with automatic bill pay, but here is a reason not to mail bills either. I live in Sheffield Lake, which does not have a post office, so my mail goes directly to the main office in Lorain.

On March 5, I mailed two bills, bound for Elyria, 10 miles to my south. My mistake was that I accidentally put 44 cents postage on the envelopes instead of 46 cents.

On March 16, 11 days after I mailed them, they were returned to me, from the Lorain post office, seven miles away, "Postage Due 2 Cents." Had these been loan payments, the interest and fees could have been huge, but fortunately they weren't.

If it took me 11 days to figure out what to do with 2 cents, I would be out of a job.

-- C.N., Sheffield Lake

A: As for the Postal Service, I've been told that undeliverable mail or items without enough postage don't go directly from point A to point B anymore. (I understand some of these items actually go through Columbus, much like packages from these parts go through Warrendale, Pa.)

I would agree that an 11-day delay, even caused initially by your own mistake, is a little frustrating. I understand that the Postal Service is striving for efficiency by streamlining such tasks.

I am not a fan of auto bill pay for most bills but I do revert to what I have said for more than a decade: It's called personal finance because it's personal. What works for one person isn't necessarily the best for everyone. Whether it's about paying bills or saving money or calculating expenses, you need to decide what is best for you.

Murray
is The Plain Dealer's personal finance writer. Because of the volume of
requests, she cannot help everyone who contacts her. 

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